Spider-Man (Vol. 2) #10

Background

Miles has been missing ever since the vision of him killing Captain America (Civil War II #6). He was found in Washington D.C., and the events that unfolded have shaken him to his core.

Story Details

Ganke returns to his dorm room to find Miles sobbing to himself. He rushes over to hug his best friend and expresses his relief to see him again. After a quick call to Fabio explaining Miles’ whereabouts, Ganke begins to ask Miles about where’d he gone. Miles explains the vision to Ganke, and he describes the most vivid details of what he felt he had experienced. Ganke questions what happened when Miles went to D.C., and Miles explains that the police were unhappy with his presence. However, they quickly pulled back from the situation upon the request of Captain Marvel. Just as that happened, Captain America arrived to speak with Miles.

Before Miles can continue the story, Fabio and Ms. Marvel appear in Miles’ room and ask about his condition. Miles explains that he and Cap only spoke, but the arrival of Captain Marvel complicated matters. He mentions that after Miles refused to accompany Captain Marvel away from their current situation, they discovered he was covered by an invisible force field. The force field was the work of Tony Stark, who covered Miles to protect him from arrest or abduction. Miles then explains that he went to Washington D.C. to find out if the vision would come true, and that he was testing his limits and character. As he recalls the moment where he held Tony Stark in his arms, his friends console him and reassure him of his good nature. Miles’ father, Jefferson, hears the conversation from outside the room, and he walks away without approaching his son.

General Comments

Well, that’s the end of Civil War II spoiled…

I find it incredibly strange that Marvel would release this book when it so blatantly spoils the ending of their main event. It seems that they really need to re-think how they work on their massive event titles, because this has happened two years in a row now. The main book falls behind schedule, other books are delayed, and then the ending is inevitably spoiled by a comic that is meant to come after it. Something has to change, because this has gotten absurd by this point.

On its own, this issue is not bad. I would hardly call it my favorite installment to come out of this series, but it has a strong sense of emotion driving it. I can feel Miles’ anguish throughout the entire book, and I understand how and why he’s going through such a rough time. We have to remember that he’s still a kid, and he’s not built for the kind of trauma that he’s been through as of late. He’s reacting in a way that I think is realistic and expected for someone of his experience and maturity. My favorite moment was when he spoke about his doubting of himself. He has real fears about his limits, and it’s a very humanizing detail that Bendis gives to him.

My main criticism of this book is that it is largely a re-telling of Civil War II #7. While there is the added perspective of Miles giving his inner thoughts on the matter, it stills feels like I’ve read this already. I know what happened in the main book, so I don’t really need to see it again here. It almost feels a bit lazy, because it’s just re-doing something that’s already been done. Heck, it’s even the same writer.

Lastly, Leon, Gracia, and Rosenberg deliver very high-quality artwork for this issue.

Overall Rating

This issue serves as a nice insight into Miles’ thoughts on Civil War II, but it is largely forgettable otherwise. There is plenty of strong emotion, but very little plot development is found in the story.